The sun rises behind Santa Cruz Island. This is the second largest of the Galapagos archipelago, an extinct volcano that has not experienced an eruption for hundreds of thousands of years. People wake up with the sound of the waves bouncing against the boat from stern to port and port to stern. The excitement to start a new day of adventures inspires guests to head to the outside decks, where they can enjoy the view of Puerto Ayora with its green and lush highlands behind.
Early in the morning, guests visit the Galapagos National Park Tortoise Breeding Center and learn about the many successful conservation efforts on land, to restore the populations of one of the most iconic species of the archipelago, the giant tortoise. This is also a marine reserve, since 1998, one of the largest in the world, and today we rejoice in the new accomplishments in the protection of this area.
Puerto Ayora looks its best for this celebration. Ecuadorian flags embellish the streets. Our guests explore while getting involved in different activities: taking art lessons at the fishermen’s market in the company of our resident artist on board, Amy Wright, or visiting the home and workshops of a couple of Galapagos artisans, as this week is dedicated to the program, “Make Art, Make a Difference”. Most guests stopover at a sugar cane press, where they try moonshine and cheese produced by a family who settled on Santa Cruz Island half a century ago.
Guests assume that encountering tortoises in the wild is the last highlight of an amazing day. However, once on board, they learn that the National Geographic Endeavour is to host two presidents for dinner. President Rafael Correa, from Ecuador, and Guillermo Solis, from Costa Rica, have met in town to discuss defining the sea boundaries of the two countries. This is also the opportunity for the premiere of a documentary produced by Pristine Seas during their many months of research in the Galapagos Islands.
The town plaza is set up with 500 chairs in front of a huge screen, all taken. On one side there is a street crowded with people, on the other, the ocean, the very subject of the documentary, the treaty and the celebration. Pristine Seas is a project launched in 2008 by National Geographic and its Explorer-in-Residence Dr. Enric Sala, to identify survey, protect, and restore the last truly wild places in the ocean. They came to Galapagos on December 2015; through their discoveries and inspiration, they are in part responsible for accelerating a process: the declaration of 30% of the Galapagos marine reserve as a no-take zone.
It makes sense that after the fascinating premiere of a National Geographic documentary, the presidents and ministers are invited to the Lindblad-National Geographic ship for dinner: the mighty National Geographic Endeavour.
Dinner is pretty quiet and formal, following the respective protocol and etiquette. But this is a commemoration of life, so eventually, there is music filling in the dining room and guests and crew enter the area under the invitation of the president of Ecuador, who, very down to earth, wants to sing, to dance and to share with all.
President Correa dances with Hilda, the wellness specialist, sings with hotel manager Juan Sebastian, keeps swirling around with the several guests captivated by his smile and genuine warmth. People cheer “Viva Ecuador! Viva Costa Rica! Viva Galápagos y su reserve marina!” It’s not only about the gratification of being Ecuadorian, and sharing with the very president of the country, but it’s about being humans celebrating a great achievement for the oceans. It’s a party on board! As it should be; indeed a celebration of life and pride!
